[Chrispy]

Will a DAC improve the sound out of iTunes by a significant amount, or would I be better off learning how to use foobar?

 

[Jay B]

I use WinAmp and upgraded from sound card output to a DAC and noticed a worthy difference. See my sig for my setup. I don't think WinAmp is any better/worse than iTunes.

 

[James63]

DAC is a huge up grade for a computer. If you have a mac run optical and if you have a PC.......I am sorry

 

[James63]

As a side note you need to keep iTunes valume at 100% for bit perfect play back.

 

[Mansize_tissue]

Using an external DAC, how do you get iTunes to use it instead of the default sound card?

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by James63 /img/forum/go_quote.gif As a side note you need to keep iTunes volume at 100% for bit perfect play back.

O.K., I've heard of this before in other digital audio software/hardware. When you lower the volume, the resolution is dithered down (or, that's how I understand this). I've heard this referred to as "bit trimming." What could possibly be the reason for designing this into a product?

Can anybody explain this to me? Just curious.

 

[Chri5peed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by James63 /img/forum/go_quote.gif As a side note you need to keep iTunes valume at 100% for bit perfect play back.

No you don't. Do you know why? iTunes doesn't play bit-perfect[Kernel-Streaming/ASIO].


- Ah maybe you can, with a plugin now. You should be turning the volume off. Any volume is affecting the signal being bit-perfect.

 

[StevieDvd]

You could use an Airport Express to feed a dac as this is bit perfect. Also there is a plugin to link Itunes to Foobar if your soundcard can do bit perfect, mine does as long as it's set right and has volume at 100% in it's own control panel.

I tested this with a dolby/dts decoder and a DTS wav file playing. With volume at 99% I get hiss/static, but at 100% I hear the dts wav playing.

 

[Chrispy]

I think I need to use the itunes to foobar plugin

 

[Chri5peed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrispy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think I need to use the itunes to foobar plugin

Or use foobar.